While surely we should do all we can to help Ukraine in its time of need, we should also ask how far are we willing to go in that effort. To be clear, we are putting a historic amount of pressure on Russia, more than some countries endure in a real, kinetic war. In the months to come, that pressure will have a combined impact, and we have not stopped at all to consider the ramifications.

In fact, we have chosen by accident a new de facto Ukraine strategy. It’s so terrifying and stupid that it’s never been tried before on a nuclear-armed superpower capable of ending nearly all human life in 30 minutes.

The West’s undeclared goal is simple: Putin has to go. Or, Putin has to die, as some on right are now cheerleading.

Yes, that means regime change, wrapped in all of its fantastical failures, is making a comeback in Washington, and no one seems to notice or even care. No one also seems to understand that’s our new goal now, what that means, and the ramifications for our world—like a full-blown nuclear war if we push Putin too far into the geopolitical gutter.